Ontario Highway 36 History - The King's Highways of Ontario

King's Highway 36 was a minor collector highway that served the northern sections of Peterborough and the Kawartha Lakes district. Until the route was downloaded to municipalities in the late 1990s, Highway 36 ran from Highway 7 in Lindsay northeasterly to Highway 28 in Burleigh Falls. Originally, Highway 36 ran from Lindsay to Bobcaygeon. The 37 km road between Lindsay and Bobcaygeon was first assumed by the Ontario Department of Highways (DHO) on July 1, 1931. For the next few years, Highway 36 dead-ended in Bobcaygeon. When it was first assumed in 1931, Highway 36 was only paved as far north as Pleasant Point Road. About 6 miles of paving work took place south of Bobcaygeon in 1934. The balance of Highway 36 between Lindsay and Bobcaygeon was paved under a surfacing contract carried out in 1936-1937. In 1937, Highway 36 was extended from Bobcaygeon to Burleigh Falls, via Buckhorn. The 39 km road from Bobcaygeon to Burleigh Falls was first assumed by the DHO on August 11, 1937. This newly-assumed extension of Highway 36 would remain a gravel highway for many years to come. In 1952, the highway was paved between Bobcaygeon and Nogies Creek. However, the balance of the highway from Nogies Creek to Burleigh Falls was not paved until 1965-1966, nearly three decades after the highway was assumed.

In 1958, a new Highway 36 Bypass was built along the east side of Lindsay. The old route of Highway 36 into downtown was redesignated as Highway 36B. In addition, Highway 36 was extensively realigned between Lindsay and Bobcaygeon in 1958, in an effort to eliminate sharp curves and awkward crossroads. A portion of the original Highway 36 via Cheese Factory Road and Settlers Road was bypassed as a result of this reconstruction, as was the hamlet of Dunsford. A new bypass was completed around Bobcaygeon in 1974, eliminating several awkward jogs in the original highway's alignment. The Bobcaygeon Bypass also featured a high-level bridge which allowed through traffic on Highway 36 to bypass the old swing bridge at the Trent-Severn Waterway Lock. On January 1, 1998, the entire highway was downloaded to Victoria County (now Kawartha Lakes) and Peterborough County. Within Peterborough County, Highway 36 was renamed as Peterborough County Road 36. Between Lindsay and Bobcaygeon, Highway 36 was briefly known as Victoria County Road 36, but it was renamed as Kawartha Lakes Road 36 after the county amalgamated in 2001. However, the entire route is commonly referred to as "Highway 36" by motorists. Highway 36 is a rural two-lane highway for its entire length. Services are available in Lindsay, Bobcaygeon and Burleigh Falls. Unless posted otherwise, the speed limit on Highway 36 is 80 km/h (50 mph). Please visit the Highway 36 Mileage Chart page for a list of mileage reference points along Highway 36.